Kenesā (Cancer)

Ko e heigoa e gagao kenesā? (What is cancer?)

Ko e gagao kenesā kua lauia ki ai e tau tagata oti, tau tau kehekehe mo e tau vahega tagata kehekehe ha kua tupu fakahanoa e tau fufua ki loto he tau tino ha lautolu.  Kaeke kua motua mo e malona e tau fufua nai, to mamate ai mo e to fanau ai e tau fufua foou ke hukui aki a lautolu ia, ka e mohā ia, kaeke ke tupu fakahanoa e tau fufua nai kua malona, to tupu mai ai e gagao kenesā mo e totolo atu ke he falu a alaga he tino.  Ka fai hikihikiaga po ke malona e tau DNA ha tautolu, to maeke e gagao kenesā ke tupu ai ke he ha alaga he tino. 

Cancer is a problem that affects people of all ages and ethnicities and occurs when cells of our body grow uncontrollably. When cells of our body become old and damaged, they die and new cells grow in their place; however, if this process is uncontrolled, damaged cells may grow uncontrollably as cancers and spread to other parts of our body where they can become life threatening. Changes or damage to our genetic make-up or DNA can cause the development of cancers and can take place almost anywhere in our body.

Haofia fefē e tau tagata Māori mo e Pasifika mai he gagao kenesā? (How does cancer affect Māori and Pacific people?)

Kua lauia lahi e tau tagata Māori mo e Pasifika ha ko e gagao kenesā i Aotearoa.  Ku a tokoluga lahi e numela kenesā ke he māmā, tau huhu, ke he hala fakavao, hala fanau, ate mo e atevili ha lautolu e tau tagata Māori mo e Pasifika. Ke he tau faga kenesā kehekehe, kua kitia ki ai kua tokoluga lahi e numela he tau tagata Māori mo e Pasifika kua mamate ka fakatatai atu ke he tau tagata Palagi mo e tau Asia i Aotearoa.  Kua gahua fakamakamaka a mautolu ke he kumikumiaga nai ke fakahako e tau kehekeheaga nai.

Cancer poses a significant problem for Māori and Pacific people in Aotearoa. These communities have higher rates of lung, breast, colorectal, endometrial, liver and pancreatic cancers compared to other ethnicities. With many types of cancer, Māori and Pacific people are more likely to die earlier compared to European and Asian populations in Aotearoa. We are working hard to try and address some of these inequities through our research.

Ko e heigoa ha Maurice Wilkins Centre ka taute ke totoko atu ke he gagao kenesā? 

(What is the Maurice Wilkins Centre doing to combat cancer?)

Ko mautolu hane kumikumi atu ke he tau faga kenesā kehekehe mo e kumi puhala foou ke tului aki, mo e onoono fakamakutu ke he tau puhala he tino ke totoko atu ke he tau kenesā.  Kumikumi foki a mautolu ke he tupumaiaga he tau kenesā, tau puhala foou ke moua e tau gagao pihia, kumikumi he tau puhala ke moua mafiti e tau vai tului ke lata mo e tau tagata oti, mo e talaga e tau vai tului ke lagomatai  e tino ke totoko atu mo e kelipopo e tau kenesā .  Ko e tau kaufakalataha nai ke he kumikumiaga ke he tau kenesā kua fakamaama mai he talahauaga Maori whakatauki “Kimihia katoa, Nga uptake o te kaupapa ina, i kitea, kimihia Te Rongo”, ka fakaliliu “Kumi oti e tau vala he gahua kua taute, ha ko e ha hā ki loto e maamaaga ke moua mai e tali.”  Ha hā he magaaho nai e tau saienetisi Maori mo e Pasifika kua kumikumi atu ke he tau genes he tau tagata Maori mo e Pasifika ke iloa po ke fai gagao nakai ne kua moua ha koe tau genes nai, pihia mo e gagao kenesā ke talaga ai falu a tului ke lata mo lautolu ia.  Ko e tau kumikumiaga he matakau Maurice Wilkins Centre matutaki atu foki ke he Te Tiriti mo e tonuhiaaga he tau malolō tino he tau Māori pihia mo e tau kumikumi atu ko e hā ne nakai fetataiaki e tau lagomatai ke he tau tagata Māori mo e Pasifika ne kua moua ai he gagao kenesā.

We are investigating the cause of various cancers and finding new ways to treat them, with a special focus on how the body’s immune system can help fight cancers. We research the biological basis of cancer, generate new diagnostic tests, research how we can rapidly make vaccines against each patient’s individual tumours and generate new treatments to help the immune system seek out and destroy cancers. This multi-disciplinary approach to cancer research is expressed in the whakataukī “Kimihia katoa, Nga putake o te kaupapa, ina, I kitea, kimihia Te Rongo”, which can be translated as “Search out all facets of the challenge, therein lies the understanding that provides your solution”. There are a number of Māori and Pacific scientists currently researching unique adaptations in Māori and Pacific genes that may be associated with different diseases including cancer to try and find tailored approaches for better treatment. The research efforts of the Maurice Wilkins Centre aim to address Te Tiriti rights of Māori in health and health research as well as some of the health inequities faced by Māori and Pacific people with cancer.